This study was conducted at the University of Bath, UK, from September to December 2014 as part of an ongoing research project aimed at elucidating how the Grb10 gene might act as a mediator of long-term health effects (such as predisposition to obesity, diabetes, coronary heart disease and hypertension) caused by environmental factors during development. This phenomenon is known as developmental programming. The purpose of this thesis was not primarily to answer any of the broader questions posed by this research project at large since this would require much more data than is reasonable to acquire over the course of a few months, but rather to evaluate the methods used in this project and reveal whether they are working the way they are presumed to. In the research project, which employs mice with the Grb10 gene knocked out as well as wild-type control mice, a dietary restriction model is utilized during gestation, which is supposed to generate offspring with lower birth weight and subsequent detrimental health effects in adulthood. This is supposed to be achieved by restricting the protein content of the pregnant mothers? diet to 9 % (as opposed to the control diet of 20 %) throughout gestation.

Ekvint metabolt syndrom är ett relativt nytt begrepp där drabbade hästar kan karaktäriseras av ökad generell och regional fettansättning, rubbningar i glukos- och fettmetabolismen, insulinresistens samt ibland klinisk eller subklinisk fång. Just insulinresistens är av intresse då det i flera studier visats att fång kan framkallas ensamt av höga insulinnivåer. Möjligheterna att diagnosticera insulinresistens i fält ? och därmed kunna förebygga fång eller följa behandlingen av en redan drabbad häst ? har varit begränsade då fasteglukos och -insulin ej är tillförlitliga metoder och övriga tester kräver en mer avancerad utrustning. År 2013 presenterades en ny variant av oralt glukostoleranstest (OGT) där djurägaren ger hästen sockersirap i munnen varpå ett blodprov tas efter 60-90 minuter av en veterinär.